FIRST YEAR PROGRAM FACULTY: 2011-2012
Cindy Anderton
(Ph.D., 2010, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale)
COUNSELOR EDUCATION
Dr. Anderton joins the UW-Whitewater faculty from Northern Illinois University, where she was a visiting assistant professor and taught several courses in Counseling. She has given national and international presentations at numerous conferences, and has two research manuscripts currently in progress/review. Additionally, Dr. Anderton holds national and state counselor’s licenses.
Victor Barger
(Ph.D., 2011, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
MARKETING
For his dissertation research, Victor Barger examined the hypothesis that one’s need for approval underlies social conformity in consumption contexts. His research interests include consumer behavior, aggregate behavior, and natural language processing, and his teaching interests include marketing research, brand management, and marketing strategy. Dr. Barger joins UW-Whitewater from Madison, WI.
Erin Celello
(M.F.A., 2004; Northern Michigan University)
LANGUAGES & LITERATURES
Ms. Celello comes to UW-Whitewater from Madison Area Technical College, where she taught English and written communication courses. Previously, she was an instructor at Northern Michigan University, teaching several courses in the English department. Ms. Celello also holds the position of Communications Director for the Wisconsin Health Care Association, and is the author of two forthcoming novels.
Christopher Chapp
(Ph.D., 2008, University of Minnesota–Twin Cities)
POLITICAL SCIENCE
Dr. Chapp comes to the UW-Whitewater faculty from St. Olaf College, where he was a visiting assistant professor of Political Science. His research and teaching interests lie in the subjects of American politics, political theory, and methodology, and he has prepared related presentations for delivery at several conferences in recent years. The manuscript for his book, Holier Than Thy Opponent: Religious Rhetoric in American Electoral Politics, is currently under review.
Eylem Ersal-Kiziler
(A.B.D., Georgetown University)
ECONOMICS
Ms. Ersal-Kiziler joins the faculty at UW-Whitewater from Georgetown University, where she is completing her Ph.D. Her dissertation focuses on distinguishing features of emerging markets. In addition to her anticipated Ph.D., Ms. Ersal-Kiziler holds two M.A. degrees in Economics. Her teaching and research interests include international finance, open economy macroeconomics, and economic development.
Zaifeng (Steve) Fan
(Ph.D., 2011, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
FINANCE & BUSINESS LAW
As an instructor at UW-Whitewater since 2007, Mr. Fan is already familiar with the university and the department of Finance & Business Law. His teaching interests involve quantitative finance, portfolio management, international finance, and corporate finance; his research interests focus on investment and portfolio choice, investment behavior of institutional and individual investors, corporate decision-making, and corporate governance.
John Frye
(Ph.D., 2008, University of Georgia)
GEOGRAPHY & GEOLOGY
Dr. Frye joins the UW-Whitewater faculty from the University of Pennsylvania, where he served as instructor of record for courses in physical geography, meteorology, weather analysis, and physical climatology. Additionally, he has developed, restructured, and offered courses at Kutztown University. Dr. Frye has authored several peer-reviewed publications, and has presented at numerous conferences across the country.
Hala Ghoneim
(A.B.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison)
LANGUAGES & LITERATURES
With a dissertation on confronting the self and the other in post-independence Egyptian literature, Ms. Ghoneim is currently in the process of completing her Ph.D. at UW-Madison. She served as a lecturer of Arabic for the same institution, and has taught Arabic, colloquial Egyptian, African autobiography, and history of Islamic civilizations courses in the past. Furthermore, Ms. Ghoneim’s research interests include Arabic literature and culture, Anglophone African literature, and postcolonial theory.
Lucinda Heimer
(Ph.D., 2006, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION
Dr. Heimer joins the UW-Whitewater faculty from Wheelock College, where she taught as an assistant professor in the department of Early Childhood Education since 2008. She has also served as an associate lecturer at UW-Madison, and has been a practicum student supervisor for students at UW-Whitewater. Dr. Heimer has presented at several conferences across the United States, has prepared various scholarly articles for publication, and has written book chapters on the topics of the deconstruction of the policy process for a selected preschool initiative, and comprehensive curricula in early childhood.
Lisa Huempfner
(Ed.D., 1998, University of Vermont)
LANGUAGES & LITERATURES
With her Ed.D in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Dr. Huempfner most recently held the position of visiting assistant professor of Spanish at Lakeland College. She comes to UW-Whitewater with over 15 years of experience teaching Spanish courses at the university level, and direct involvement in developing a national Spanish achievement test for Spanish-speaking students (K-12). Her experiential knowledge and research interests have lead to publications, papers, and presentations for English and Spanish journals and conferences.
Gregory Jeffers
(A.B.D., Indiana University)
SOCIOLOGY
Mr. Jeffers most recently worked as an instructor in the department of Sociology at Indiana University, where he has taught courses since 2004. Furthermore, he has been invited as a panel member for various departmental seminars in recent years, and has served on the department’s Race & Ethnic Relations Committee since 2008. His areas of interest include race and ethnic relations, criminology, social psychology, and ethnography. The dissertation for his anticipated Ph.D. in Sociology examines police-community interactions in a Midwestern city.
Donald Jellerson
(Ph.D., 2009, Vanderbilt University)
LANGUAGES & LITERATURES
With a Ph.D. in English, Dr. Jellerson comes to UW-Whitewater from Rhodes College, where he held a position as visiting assistant professor in the English department. He has experience teaching various English courses at Rhodes College and Vanderbilt University, and has served as a guest lecturer in Vanderbilt’s English and Women’s & Gender Studies departments. Additionally, Dr. Jellerson comes to us with acting and improvisation training, and has had several professional performance experiences.
Joshua Kapfer
(Ph.D., 2007, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee)
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Dr. Kapfer joins the UW-Whitewater faculty from Elon University, where he taught at the undergraduate level as an assistant professor in the department of Environmental Studies. His past research experience has lead to numerous publications, book reviews, and scholarly presentations in recent years. Dr. Kapfer’s ongoing research and interests include habitat management approaches to conserve and attract non-game wildlife, inventory and monitoring of amphibian and reptile species distribution, and the influences on successful camera trap implementation when monitoring wildlife.
Elizabeth King
(Ph.D, 2011, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
GLOBAL/EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS
Dr. King joins the UW-Whitewater faculty from UW-Madison, where she completed her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction. In recent years, her research interests have lead to publications and presentations at the regional, national, and international levels. Furthermore, Dr. King has been involved in curriculum development projects with Mesalands Community College, the Beloit Urban Economic Development Association, and UW-Whitewater’s Economic Development Center.
Kimberly Knesting
(Ph.D., 2000, Indiana University)
PSYCHOLOGY
With over twelve years of teaching experience as an assistant professor at the University of Northern Iowa and UW-Eau Claire, Dr. Knesting is quite familiar with the role of instructor at the graduate and undergraduate level. She has taught courses in academic assessment and intervention, school psychology, research methods, psychological foundations of education, behavioral interventions, and educational psychology, among others. Additionally, Dr. Knesting’s personal and professional research interests have been focus topics for numerous peer-reviewed publications and presentations.
James Levy
(Ph.D., 2006; Rutgers University)
HISTORY
Dr. Levy joins the UW-Whitewater faculty from Hofstra University in New York, where he served as a visiting assistant professor of African-American history. He has experience at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels, teaching courses related to the culture and politics of African-American labor, representations of race in American media and culture, African-American history as it relates to slavery and the Civil War. Furthermore, Dr. Levy co-founded and served as executive director for an educational non-profit organization in San Francisco.
Katrina Liu Yan
(Ph.D., 2010, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION
Dr. Liu recently received her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from UW-Madison with a dissertation on enhancing prospective teachers’ critical reflection in the electronic portfolio environment. She has since taught in the university’s department of Curriculum and Instruction. Dr. Liu also has experience as a lecturer for Madison Area Technical College and Hunan University of International Economics, as well as instructor of English at the elementary and middle school levels in Hunan, China. Additionally, Dr. Liu’s work and research experience have lead to multiple publications and presentations at national and international conferences.
Jessica Menke
(Ph.D., 2010, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
CHEMISTRY
With a position as lecturer in the Chemistry department since 2010, Dr. Menke is already acquainted with the department and the university. She has also served as a lecturer for UW-Madison, and been involved with undergraduate mentoring since 2008. Her research experience has lead to publication in several professional journals over the last seven years. Dr. Menke’s involvement in this field has taken her to various places for presentations and lectures, including the University of Illinois, San Diego, CA, and Bryant University.
Julie Minikel-Lacocque
(Ph.D., 2009, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION
Dr. Minikel-Lacocque comes to UW-Whitewater from UW-Madison, where she had served as a post-doctoral fellow in the Wisconsin Center for Educational Research since 2010. Her research in recent years has lead to publications addressing topics such as the comparison of qualitative interviewing and the therapeutic process, racial microaggressions, race, class, and access for Latino/a students at predominantly white universities, and the transition to college among young, low-income students with children. Additionally, Dr. Minikel-Lacocque holds secondary ESL teacher and secondary Spanish teaching credential certifications.
Amber Moulton
(Ph.D., 2011, Harvard University)
HISTORY
Dr. Moulton most recently worked as a senior lecturer for an African-American History Survey course in the College of Professional Studies at Northeastern University. She recently received her Ph.D. in African and African American Studies at Harvard University, where she had previously served as a teaching fellow for several courses. Her dissertation explored interracial marriage and the politics of family. Dr. Moulton has presented at various conferences, given guest lectures, authored two book reviews, and currently has an additional scholarly article under review.
Brandi Niemeier
(Ph.D., 2011, North Dakota State University)
HEALTH, PHYSICAL ED., RECREATION, & COACHING
For her dissertation, Dr. Niemeier examined how weight-related behaviors in young adults relate to the behaviors of their parents. In recent years, her research findings have been the focus of published journal articles and peer-reviewed presentations around the United States. In addition to her Ph.D., Dr. Niemeier also holds paramedic certification with the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians.
Christina Outlay
(Ph.D., 2008, University of Illinois at Chicago)
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & BUSINESS EDUCATION
Dr. Outlay joins the UW-Whitewater faculty from DePaul University’s College of Commerce. Since 2006, she has taught management information systems, management of information technology, and systems analysis and design courses as instructor and adjunct faculty member at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Additionally, Dr. Outlay is certified as a project management professional (PMP) and is currently pursuing a second M.S. degree in Accountancy.
Heather Pelzel
(Ph.D., 2010, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Dr. Pelzel comes to UW-Whitewater from Beloit College, where she served as visiting assistant professor for the department of Biology over the last year. While at Beloit College, she has taught several courses in human biology, emerging infectious diseases, and biochemistry of metabolism. Dr. Pelzel’s field research has lead to publication of peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, abstracts, and seminar presentations.
Jennifer Petersen
(Ph.D., 2010, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATIONS
Dr. Petersen has been affiliated with UW-Whitewater since the fall of 2010 as an instructor and lecturer in the departments of Educational Foundations and Psychology. She has since taught and lectured for courses on human development, child development, and statistics for the behavioral sciences. Dr. Petersen’s published works and conference presentations address topics such as peer sexual harassment, parental leave, and trends in gender and mathematical performance.
Asmahan Sallah
(Ph.D., 2010, Texas A&M University)
LANGUAGES & LITERATURES
Dr. Sallah joins the UW-Whitewater faculty from Texas A&M University, where she served as a post-doc lecturer for technical writing courses. In the dissertation for her Ph.D. degree last year, she examined postmodern spiritualities in contemporary American fiction, highlighting how the relationship between the secular and sacred has been redefined. Dr. Sallah’s other research interests include 20th and 21st century American literature, Middle Eastern studies, rhetoric and composition, feminist and women writers, and American modernism.
Nancy Stevens
(Ph.D., 2010, Marquette University)
CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION
With a Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership, Dr. Stevens comes to UW-Whitewater from Marquette University, where she taught as an adjunct faculty member. In addition to over twelve years of experience as a certified reading specialist at the K-12 level, Dr. Stevens also holds principal (K-12), physical education (K-12), and elementary/middle (1-8) certifications.
Hung-Chung Su
(A.B.D., University of Minnesota)
MANAGEMENT
For his dissertation at the University of Minnesota, Mr. Su is exploring the topic of sustaining high quality performance under a dynamic environment. He is also interested in research that focuses on quality management, supply chain management, high reliability organizations, system dynamics, and methods in empirical research. Additionally, Mr. Su is an ad hoc reviewer for various national and international scholarly journals.
Nicholas Tippery
(Ph.D., 2010, University of Connecticut)
BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Dr. Tippery comes to UW-Whitewater from the Lewis Laboratory at the University of Conneticut, where he served as a post-doc associate. The dissertation for his recent Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology focused on systematic evolution of menyanthaceae and the floting-leaved genus nymphoides. Dr. Tippery’s interests and research in the field of biological sciences have lead to several scholarly publications, presentations, and invited lectures in recent years.
Nam-Hyun Um
(Ph.D., 2011, University of Texas at Austin)
COMMUNICATION
For his dissertation research, Nam-Hyun Um examined the influence of culture on consumers’ response to negative celebrity information. His research interests include issues in the advertising industry, celebrity endorsement in advertising, political campaigns, non-profit organizations, and consumer behavior. He has authored publications in multiple peer-reviewed journals, and presented at national and international conferences. Nam-Hyun Um joins UW-Whitewater from Austin, TX.
Sharri VanAlstine
(Ph.D., 2011, University of Minnesota)
MUSIC
Dr. VanAlstine recently completed her Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota, where she also taught a music methods course as instructor of record in the School of Music. She served as an adjuct music faculty member at Anoka Ramsey Community College for the past three years as well. Additionally, Dr. VanAlstine holds a vocal and classroom music (K-9; 5-12) teacher’s license in Minnesota, and has over 17 years of experience as a private voice teacher.
Donna Vosburgh
(Ph.D., 2010, University of Iowa)
OCCUPATIONAL & ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY & HEALTH
Dr. Vosburgh has most recently worked in specialized units at the University of Iowa, in its College of Public Health. Her research interests lie in the subjects evaluation of aerosol measurement equipment, use of longitudinal data to determine worker exposures, and assessment of worker exposure to nanoparticles. In addition to her Ph.D., Dr. Vosburgh also holds a M.S. degree in Environmental and Public Health, and certificate of Environmental Health Specialist/Sanitarian in the state of Minnesota.
Holly Wilson
(Ph.D., 2011, Florida State University)
LANGUAGES & LITERATURES
Dr. Wilson joins the faculty at UW-Whitewater from Florida State University, where she completed her Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature; her dissertation discussed Skeleton Me: A Novel. She has authored several fiction and nonfiction works for publication, and given various presentations and readings at conferences in recent years. Additionally, Dr. Wilson holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, and has teaching experience as a graduate assistant in American literature, creative writing, and composition courses at Florida State.
Andy Yu
(Ph.D., 2009, Texas Tech University)
MANAGEMENT
Dr. Yu comes to the UW-Whitewater faculty from the University of Southern Indiana, where he was an assistant professor of Management. He is the author of several scholarly publications, and an ad hoc reviewer for the Journal of Family Business Strategy, the International Small Business Journal, and the Journal of Leadership and Organizational studies. Furthermore, Dr. Yu is co-founder of DabuTek International Corporation in Taiwan.
